ARTISTS TALKING

# 8 [4 July 2007]

Art Gallery tries a hand at Animal Rescue!

It's a tale of high drama, of battling against the elements, of passionate endeavour, loss and finally an unlikely happily ever after, plus possibly the cutest picture of ducks you'll ever see in your life.

Yes duck, ducks! When Andrew Branscombe and David Bethell the curators of AirSpace, Stoke on Trent's new contemporary art gallery, received the news that they could finally take official occupancy of no.4 Broad Street, Hanley, they were unprepared for the heart rending experience that was about to unfold.  Preoccupied as they were with the negotiations of Dizzy Heights, AirSpace's next exhibition, it was only by pure chance that they noticed a small mother duck who had set up her nursery in a disused out-house behind the new gallery. Although the past year of running the gallery in a disused factory at the edge of town had taught Andrew and David how to cope with the most taxing and bizarre of situations, still they were astonished to suddenly find themselves in the role of carers to a mother to be.  

There were concerns of what would happen to the chicks once they were born as the nearest water was over half a mile away and across many busy roads. But more intense concerns were raised when despite vigilant observation it was discovered one morning that mummy duck had vanished. Was she attacked by an urban fox which had been seen in the vicinity or perhaps a city cat or stray dog? Whatever it was, she had fled leaving her unborn chicks to their fate.

Operation ‘Rescue' started as David and Andrew hatched a plan. The remaining nine eggs were collected into Andrew's jumper and nestled into a cardboard box in front of a heater in the Gallery Space. The eggs were then carefully relocated to an incubator at Andrew's house and three days later immersed in the organisation of gallery events David received a text message from Andrew: ‘Might be a bit late today Dude, 9 eggs went in a 9 ducklings came out.' And sure enough 9 beautiful ducklings were hatched and squeaking for attention.

But now what? How were they to look after the new arrivals? They had no pond!

Several phone calls later and we are delighted to report that a new foster home has been found for the little uns at a bird sanctuary near Uttoxeter. All are doing well and will be released in to the wild later in the year. A happy fairy tale ending for the Stoke on Trent ducks.

# 7 [6 June 2007]

So we had our first opening at Number 4!

AndersonMacgee's Two, revealed the beauty beneath the white walls of our new gallery by stripping back the paint and carpet, showing us the ornate tiles and bare materials used to construct the room. This process alters our perceptions of the white walled gallery space, provoking thoughts of history and permanence and leaving us eager to view the second piece; a permanent intervention along side the ring road in Hanley City Centre. The opening of the show also saw the launch of AndersonMacgee's new publication, produced along side the Two show; visitors were seen delving into this throughout the opening.

For the evenings entertainment DJ Beetroot provided us with some funky back ground music while the visitors took in the new work, which was later accompanied by a debut performance from Chromatone; where performance artists responded to a projected video. Hurricane Landcrash reacted with his guitar and computer as artists Chris Simcox, David Clamp and Laura Fletcher responded with drawing, while the audience relished the ability to watch the process.

Attendance was good, the cosy bar area at the back of the room was full of interest as people poured over maps of the city and passed exhibitions press releases and everyone enjoyed the chance to have a sneaky peak at the new building.

A positive beginning to our new abode and we're really excited to see what is going to happen in the new space.

The Two publication is available to buy from the gallery.

airspaceinfo@btinternet.com

# 6 [14 May 2007]

Out of Space

For the last few weeks the derelect AirSpace building has been swarming with the un-dead, we have been hosts for the filming of Out of Space a Zombie film with a difference.

Here's what it's all about:

She takes her last drag of her cigarette…

and sips her wine.

The clay was cold under her fingers.

The darkness encroached.

Silent light echoed through the old abandoned pot bank.

She sleeps.

The living did not foresee the next 23 hours.

No one listened…

The landfills spilled over,

The rubbish mounted up

The mines were filled

And the pollution thickened

CONTAMINATION….. Mankind shall pay

OUTOFSPACE is an artistic approach to an important issue. This zombie horror film with a difference explores an original, down to earth and ‘realistic’ reaction to an environmental disaster.

The films strong environmental message is not about pointing the finger or answering questions. Rather we are using film as an attempt to encourage a discourse, creating a dialogue which forces people from all different backgrounds and ages to ask questions about our attitude to the world, to think outside the box and to take personal responsibility for their consumerist footprint. Therefore empowering individuals to create positive environmental change within their society, as well as raising people’s awareness of the potential impacts we are having on the earth.

The film will be edited as a lost transmission and will explore the complex network of relationships between the media and individuals.

We have recently received funding from the local council for the production of the film. To our surprise the film is escalating in popularity and we have gained local and national recognition from a range of professional bodies. These included our guest director, international award winning film maker Chris Stone and international illustrator and artist Shane Oakley, who is currently working with Labyrinth Arts to create a graphic novel based on the screen play of OUTOFSPACE.

Labyrinth Arts

Labyrinth Arts is a collective of professional artists who are based within the Stoke-on-Trent area. We facilitate a number of creative opportunities and experiences within the local and national community, for the purposes of personal, cultural, environmental, economic and social improvements.

Each member of the not-for-profit group brings different skills to the projects with the aim to share their knowledge and empower other people from the group and within the community to explore, create, celebrate and ‘have a go’ for themselves. For this project our core artists and professional skills/capabilities include:

Members

Aimee Blease-Bourne: Writer, actor, researcher, environmentalist, musical composer and camera person

Pete Brown: Audio-visual technician, lighting designer, set constructer and stunt man

Michael Cartwright: Visual artist, musical sound director, director, stuntman, editor and camera person

Neil Coburn: Actor, musical composer, set designer and constructer, musical and sound designer and stuntman

Andrea Cope: Musician, chemist, researcher, Prince2 Project Practitioner and environmental officer

Katrina Durber: Make-up and Special FX artist and seamstress.

Caroline McCarthy: Musician, psychologist, actress, writer and researcher

Tez Roberts: Visual artist and designer, photographer, actor, Director, special FX artist and costume designer

Sarah Rowlands: Director, writer, choreographer, actor, stunt co-ordinator and camera person

OUTOFSPACE

The film is based in Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands. As a city whose industry has been so influenced by the special and unique character of the landscape- we think it is time for us as residents to give something back to the Earth and say thanks, because without the clay, coal and iron the Potteries, would not be what it is today. As these industries are fading, we are increasingly becoming a consumerist, plastic and throw-away society, but we need to take personal responsibility for our waste and reduce the footprint that we leave behind on the Earth. Through various community workshops we are also providing local people with the opportunity to get their point of view across in a creative and non-aggressive way and therefore encouraging artists and participants to learn and share skills.

www.outofspacethemovie.co.uk

# 5 [7 May 2007]

Number 4, Broad Street:

We finally did it!

They haven't quite signed the dotted line, but we're one step closer to moving to Broad Street.

Number 4, Broad Street has been being talked about between Stoke's Creative Development Team and AirSpace since last year. A comprehensive feasibility study has been being drawn up care of New Media Partners, gathering interest from across the city.

It was initially suggested that we would move in March '07 and with the electricity being cut off in our current building just before Christmas we were eager to get the negotiations on the way. On the 3^rd May '07 planning permission was finally agreed.

We have been patient and it will be worth the wait. Number 4, Broad Street is right in the middle of the Cultural Quarter, across the road from the Potteries Museum and much closer to the centre of town. It has heating, hot water and more importantly electricity! We will have more space for artists and a real office for the MD's so we can improve on the family atmosphere we have been striving for.

The gallery will be much more accessible for visitors and there is even room for a caf' and smaller gallery space for hiring out!

AirSpace are extremely grateful to get permission to move to their new home, and we would like to thank the S-O-T's Cultural Development Team in-particular for all there hard work and perseverance

So get excited everyone, we're on the move.

# 4 [7 May 2007]

Axis Festival:

Stoke on Trent made a big leap this weekend with their first ever major arts festival.

They got all kinds of great musicians; Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, The Guillemots, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and organised some fun workshop days, with a Wish Tree, Labyrinth and Costume making!

As the now leading contemporary arts centre we decided to get our audience involved too...

It was a bit of a slow start seeing as we were advertised in the brochure for Friday instead of Saturday; but not to complain as actually the Graffiti artists chickened out and Dan Hopkins had to cancel his projection performance due to good, and therefore bad, lighting. This left resident artist Chris Simcox to down tools for his performance piece, but never fear we will be holding these events on our next show opening instead.

We kept our fingers crossed for the 'After Party' planned to start after Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly. And true AirSpace Style, resident DJ Raskutarnus warmed us up as people began to arrive early. The donations bar was busy straight away and with the addition of interest in the projection showing in the spare room of 'The Making of Out of Space', Labyrinth Art's Zombie Film the atmosphere was building up nicely for the new found local talent of From The Captain. From The Captain are an upbeat rock band, they mix a hint of heavy metal with melodic vocals and bang it out for dancing fun. Then things hotted up with performances from Silhouette, a local Burlesque group revealing their talent for the AirSpace crowd. To finish DJ Raskutarnus wooed the dancers with his funky beats until we drank the bar dry. A brilliant night for all and we just had the cleaning up to do in the morning.

www.myspace.com/fromthecaptainstoke

www.myspace.com/silhouette_burlesque

# 3 [1 May 2007]

ANDERSONMACGEE Two

After a hard week of ivy, paint stripper, touring around the Staffordshire Moorlands and good food along with loads of hard work from Paul Macgee, Briony Anderson and the AirSpace Team we finally completed the new works by the artsists AndersonMacgee! Here's what it's all about:

AirSpace Gallery, Stoke on Trent’s new contemporary Art Gallery celebrates it’s first anniversary with a project, the like of which has never been seen in the City before. The curtator/owners David Bethell and Andrew Branscombe set out to challenge our perceptions of what art can be, with a bold and forward looking programme of exhibitions, happenings and installations. As the gallery physically shifts location from just out side the city to 4 Broad Street, a building in the very heart of the Cultural Quarter, thus making itself more visible to the general public, the metaphor of the new positioning resonates more profoundly when seen in context with the next “exhibition” delivered by Briony Anderson and Paul Macgee (AndersonMacgee). This partnership is currently garnering significant national attention and this is their second collaborative work before beginning work for Aberdeen Art Gallery in the Autumn.

ANDERSONMACGEE Two will comprise three new works created specifically for AirSpace - a site-specific permanent intervention, a performance and a publication. The work will be permanent interventions utilising both the gallery space and its surrounding context, the work seeks to raise questions on the nature of existence, specifically through the viewer’s understanding and questioning of the existence and permanence of the work.

The first proposed work will be a site-specific intervention on an embankment opposing the original AirSpace Gallery on Stoke-on-Trent’s main ring-road. This “commemorative” arrangement of flora will be installed prior to the exhibition opening and will consist of evergreen Ivy (Hederas Helix) arranged to form the text ‘LIFE LONG’ or “LONG LIFE” (see image above).

The second piece takes the form of a performance by the artists whereby the audience is invited to view the vestiges of the event which will alter perceptions of the space. This performance will take place in advance of the exhibition opening and will be documented. There will be no public participation in this performance.

For the final part of the work AndersonMacgee will produce a book documenting the works made for the exhibition. AndersonMacgee with Dave Beech, Bernice Donszelman, Gavin Morrison and photography by Janet Wilson, with contributions from Jack Mottram and Monika Vykoukal.

Permanence is the key here. Instead of an artifact or object being produced which can be owned, AndersonMacgee’s work is not something one can acquire. This is an engagement of the surroundings to raise questions about the big questions. All of their work has a definite domestic agenda; we’ve all dug the garden and we’ve all scraped paint off a wall. Are we renovating or excavating? Are we planning the future or revealing the past?

If you like your art to challenge, inspire or confound this is the show for you. This is Stoke on Trent coming of age, and through its artists, boldly taking its place in the new century.

www.andersonmacgee.co.uk

# 2 [1 May 2007]

Shortcuts Review

AirSpace Gallery

2nd April – 7th April 2007

By Anna Francis

What has been going on in the bowels of the airspace gallery? Shortcuts, the first AirSpace members’ show, seeks to answer this question, giving the viewer a unique insight into the varied investigations being undertaken in the studio space below the gallery. This is an unusual show in a number of ways, not least due to the quick turnaround, from conception stage (let’s have a show) to completion. It is rare that the viewing audience is allowed access to an artist’s work at any stage other than resolution, but Shortcuts opens the dialogue between viewer and artist at varying stages of the respective creative processes. The overriding idea that what is being presented here are selected parts of the studio artists’ continuing practices, when what we often expect to see when visiting an exhibition is the endpoint, by no means diminishes the impact of the work shown.

On entry to the gallery the first thing I was confronted with was Bernard Charnley’s mammoth figurative painting. Charnley describes the works here as ‘interrogations into the iconic attributes of the human figure as sign’ this is wholly supported by the physicality of the 16ft No Standing and the only slightly smaller Parade. This nod towards semiology, provided by the short artist’s statement invites analysis; the human figure is obviously recognisable, but it is not me, the viewer, but something else, somewhere else. This is not a body, a person, but a figure, with no prescribed identity. These are sculptural paintings, putting one in mind of Giacometti’s elongated figures, there is something destitute about these works, like a Holocaust memorial – they are outside of my life’s primary experience, but are still recognisable for what they may represent.

Katie Shipley’s Plato’s Wax is Forgetting demonstrates for the viewer the frustration and loss of identity associated with Alzheimer’s disease - tiny assemblages of photographic materials and personal trinkets embedded in wax, displayed with a looped sound piece. The irony of the doctor’s insistent, relentless questioning were not lost on me, having spent time in the company of sufferers of the disease. Questions form the daily reality for the sufferer, and their carer, as signifiers lose their meaning and faces of loved ones dissolve. The blank labels attached to each disintegrating piece signpost for the viewer the violent destruction of a life, punctuated by the tautological probing of the sound piece.

In New Life Tez Roberts focuses on the cyclical structures of organic life. The suggestion here is that in all things there are possibilities. This is a positive take on the processes of life and inevitable death, suggesting that even in the deconstructive stages there is bound to be something worthy of attention. The piece consists of small containers of moulding matter, these in themselves may solicit disgust in the viewer, but the accompanying microscopic photographs reveal them to be subtly inviting landscapes. Perhaps this is the artist’s way of asking us to view our surroundings differently, in which the pay off may be that we are rewarded by finding beauty where we least expect it. I was expecting to find it in Yu-Chen Wang’s Reconstruction. East-Berlin is an area of frenzied activity, the fall of the Berlin wall has seen developers flood in, and reconstruction sites can be found all across the city. I was expecting Reconstruction to be a poetic account of this regeneration process, and perhaps a portrait of a city in renaissance, but it seemed more of a matter-of-fact document, showing the physical changes being administered to a city. The people moving through the film seem to show their adaptability, being able to negotiate the city, even as barriers spring up in their paths. It did not seem materially important that this was Berlin, it could have been any city anywhere.

Brian Holdcroft’s Path delivered the viewer out of the city, to a barely formed landscape. The fragments making up Path give suggestions of a journey to be embarked upon, a series of broken clues which ultimately frustrate the viewers sense of place. It was with this piece that I was reminded that this show was not about end-points but rather possibilities for future enquiry. It will be interesting to see how Holdcroft’s investigations resolve themselves in future practice.

In Play Christopher Simcox has embraced the speculatory feel of the show, allowing the abandoned factory’s personality to reveal itself. This is an attempt to connect with the architecture of the space and the objects/remnants which remain from the Gallery’s previous incarnation as Pottery factory. Simcox describes the opportunity to work intuitively with the space as a liberating chance to explore materials and their potential, without the sometimes suffocating weight of conceptual reasoning. The assemblage using light, built structures, treacle and unidentified hydraulic parts culminates in an unobtrusive intervention, working with what is given and suggesting alternative realities or improvements for the space.

Andrew Branscombe is also working in sculptural assemblage, but this time with Analyser mk II the viewer’s participation is imperative to understand the function of the machine. Branscombe’s machine consists of a stone wheel attached to a handle, operated by the viewer, which when turned creates a sound picked up by a biscuit tin featuring a friendly dog, this primitive amplification device is then fed through to a computer, which displays the effect of the viewer’s intervention through sound. This complicated system results in little more than a blip on the computer’s monitor, leaving the viewer wondering why, and what exactly is the point. This, it seems, is exactly what was intended for Analyser mk II, which is a commentary on complex scientific equipment.

If Branscombe’s sculpture can be seen as an exercise in futility then David Bethell’s Absence might be viewed as an answer to the riddle of disenfranchised activity. Absence is the swansong of the creative mind, trapped in a prison of pointless or unfulfilling employment. Anyone who has experienced the joyless treadmill that is working in a thankless job may recognise the devices employed here, to make what is intolerable, bearable. What is presented here is the desk of some unnamed proletariat; the wall is plastered with the protagonist’s inane doodlings, fashioned perhaps in the attempt to appear productive. The double-bind here is that the alternatives offered are just as fruitless. A replica of the same space is being beamed to the desks monitor, from a filmed model found in the desk drawer, where the sense of resigned inactivity is amplified to infinity.

This sense of time standing still is echoed in All the time keep feeling the need to destroy, the video offering from Vikki Brown and Richard Brammer. The video presents us with a mundane world, inhabited by a couple from an unfathomable period. They are engaged in everyday activities around the home, taking tea, reading, building model aeroplanes but generally getting under each others feet, while thinly disguising their disdain for one another. The film had the feeling of a sketch, not yet finished - two-dimensional characters waiting to be fleshed out through purpose or dialogue. As a viewer it was difficult to care about or truly believe in either character, although the proposed notions for investigation are presen

# 1 [24 April 2007]

As the AirSpace project is already one year old I feel like we should start with a little background information on the group and what they have achieved so far.

It all started with two graduates from the BA Fine Art course at Staffordshire University, David Bethell and Andrew Branscombe, who decided that something had to be done to improve the contemporary art scene in Stoke on Trent. As local lads they saw students coming to Stoke to study and leaving due to the lack of opportunities in the area. So they decided that they were going to make the opportunities themselves.

Through their time at University David and Andrew had organised the Conjunction exhibitions with fellow student Matt Roberts. The Conjunction open submission exhibitions took place in 03, 04, 05 and ending with a huge nationwide Conjunction 06 showing in London, Birmingham and Stoke on Trent and including 46 local, national and international artists.

Not put off by the sleepless nights on gallery floors David and Andrew are now using the experience gained through the Conjunction shows to embark on the bigger project of The Artist Led AirSpace Gallery and Studios.

The mission: to be the centre for the Visual Arts in Stoke-on-Trent and the region, providing gallery, studio, educational and meeting spaces

After months of searching and networking they finally, in February 2006, secured a temporary gallery space in a disused pottery factory five minutes from Stoke on Trent's city centre. The building itself dates from the mid nineteenth century and was a family run company until production ceased in 2000, under the original name of J H Weatherby and Sons. It has now been taken over by Forth Estates property developers who have kindly let David, Andrew and the AirSpace team use the building for over a year. The building has a great sense of history, which is apparent upon entry, as you are greeted by one of its few remaining Bottle Ovens.

Weeks of scrubbing six years worth of pigeon poo and voila! A nice clean gallery, studio spaces and a working toilet!

After the Galleries opening party in July 06 with Martin Creed's band and various performing artists, it has grown into a busy artist led space, with 7 resident artists as well as David and Andrew and some more members of the crew.

Here is who we currently have on board:

David Bethell-Director

Andrew Branscombe-Director

Phil Rawle-Designer and Branding Manager

Sara Austin-Marketing Manager

Chris Simcox-Studio Manager and Studio Artist

Tez Roberts-Studio Manager and Studio Artist

Rory Strang-Website Designer and Maintainer

Katie May Shipley-Research Organiser

Rachel Dzibij-Fundraiser

Ian Brown-Consultant

Anna Francis-Writer

Emily Kydd-Writer and Studio Artist

Matt Roberts-AirVideo Curator

Yu Chen Wang-AirVideo Curator

Vikki Brown-Assistant Marketing Officer and Studio Artist

Richard Brammer- Writer and Studio Artist

Bernard Charnley-Technician and Studio Artist

Brian Holdcroft-Technician and Studio Artist

Aimee Blease-Bourne-Workshop Leader

The Gallery has hosted many events including:

OnAir events; where they present new and emerging musicians from the local area.

AirVideo events; showing video work of local, national and international artists.

Conjunctivitis: a night from the group raw'ral, a resident DJ company playing a soulful mix of alternative hip hop, jazzy drum and bass and funky house.

And we held a NAN meeting in March

As well as their extensive exhibition calendar:

Tide In/Tide Out; featuring seven selected artists from the Staffordshire University degree show.

Factory Records; a short show by the MA students at Staffordshire University.

Coordinates; A showcase selection from the ICAW Harlech Biennale 2005.

And

Indefinable City; bringing together artists from local and international communities and dealing with issues of how art and culture affect the individual's perception of a place.

In November 2006 the Gallery was awarded its first major funding from the ACE, they also have support from Stoke on Trent County Council, The Big Boost, Forth Estates, Titanic brewery and Air Conditioning Solutions. They also have a strong relationship with Staffordshire University.

With the positive feedback and the goal of seeking a permanent space within the city David and Andrew are still striving to be the leading artist led Contemporary Gallery and Studios in Stoke on Trent, with their next show coming up in May 07. Featuring two new works by AndersonMacGee running from 25th May -16th June.